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{{Short description|Indian cricketer (1939–2022)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Sudhakar Adhikari
| image =
| fullname = Sudhakar Gajanan Adhikari
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1939|10|11|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Mumbai|Bombay]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|7|29|1939|10|11|df=yes}}
| death_place =
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling =
| role = Opening batsman
| club1 = [[Mumbai cricket team|Bombay]]
| year1 = {{nowrap|1959/60–1966/67}}
| club2 = [[West Zone cricket team|West Zone]]
| year2 = {{nowrap|1960/61–1963/64}}
| columns = 1
| column1 = [[First-class cricket|First-class]]
| matches1 = 65
| runs1 = 3,779
| bat avg1 = 40.63
| 100s/50s1 = 11/18
| top score1 = 192
| deliveries1 = 348
| wickets1 = 5
| bowl avg1 = 55.00
| fivefor1 = 0
| tenfor1 = 0
| best bowling1 = 1/22
| catches/stumpings1= 21/–
| source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/sudhakar-adhikari-26623 Cricinfo
| date = 6 October 2024
}}
'''Sudhakar Gajanan Adhikari''' (11 October 1939 – 29 July 2022) was an Indian cricketer who played [[first-class cricket]] from 1959–60 to 1970–71, mostly for [[Mumbai cricket team|Bombay]] in the [[Ranji Trophy]] and [[West Zone cricket team|West Zone]] in the [[Duleep Trophy]].

Adhikari was a technically-sound opening batsman who came close to [[Test cricket|Test]] selection for India in the early 1960s.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ramnarayan |first1=V. |author-link=V. Ramnarayan|title=Might they have played for India? |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/v-ramnarayan-picks-an-xi-of-indian-cricketers-who-missed-out-on-national-selection-1089654 |publisher=Cricinfo|access-date=6 October 2024}}</ref> After representing [[Mumbai University|Bombay University]] in the [[Rohinton Baria Trophy]], he was included in the [[Indian Universities cricket team|Indian Universities]] team to play the touring [[Australian cricket team in India in 1959–60|Australians]] in 1959–60.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1950S/1959-60/AUS_IN_IND/IND-COM-UNIV_AUS_09-11JAN1960.html | title = Indian Combined Universities v Australians 1959–60| publisher = Cricinfo| access-date = 6 October 2024}}</ref> He then made his Ranji Trophy debut, scored 134 against [[Baroda cricket team|Baroda]] in his second match, and shortly afterwards played in Bombay's victory in the final.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23985.html | title = Bombay v Mysore 1959–60| publisher = CricketArchive| access-date = 6 October 2024}}</ref> He was selected to play for [[Indian Starlets]] on their tour of Pakistan later that season, where he scored a [[Century (cricket)|century]] against [[Lahore cricket teams|Lahore]] in the first match.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/23/23991.html | title = Lahore v Indian Starlets 1959–60| publisher = CricketArchive| access-date = 6 October 2024}}</ref>

Adhikari made the most of his opportunities when Bombay's Test players were absent, scoring 192 against [[Maharashtra cricket team|Maharashtra]] in the Ranji Trophy in 1960–61. In its summary of that season, ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack|Wisden]]'' predicted a bright future for him.<ref>S. K. Gurunathan, "Cricket in India, 1960–61", ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack|Wisden]]'' 1962, p. 914.</ref> He played in Bombay's victorious Ranji Trophy team and West Zone’s victorious Duleep Trophy team in the 1961–62 season.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/38/38041/First-Class_Matches.html| title = First-Class Matches played by Sudhakar Adhikari | publisher = CricketArchive| access-date = 6 October 2024}}</ref> He scored a century when West Zone won the final by an innings in 1962–63.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1960S/1962-63/IND_LOCAL/DULEEP/SOUTH_WEST_DULEEP-FINAL_24-27JAN1963.html| title = South Zone v West Zone 1962–63 | publisher = Cricinfo| access-date = 6 October 2024}}</ref>

Adhikari's form fell away in the mid-1960s.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/38/38041/f_Batting_by_Season.html| title = First-Class Batting and Fielding in Each Season by Sudhakar Adhikari| publisher = CricketArchive| access-date = 6 October 2024}}</ref> In April 1966, in one of several first-class matches he was selected to play in to raise money for the National Defence Fund, he was the second batsman dismissed when [[Sadanand Mohol]] took four wickets in four balls.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/27/27984.html| title = Maharashtra Small Savings Minister's and Life Insurance Company's Chairman's Combined XI v Indian Board President's XI 1965–66| publisher = CricketArchive| access-date = 6 October 2024}}</ref>

Adhikari died in July 2022, at the age of 82.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gupta |first1=Gaurav |title=Ex-Mumbai opener Sudhakar Adhikari passes away |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/news/ex-mumbai-opener-sudhakar-adhikari-passes-away/articleshow/93229907.cms |access-date=29 October 2025 |work=Times of India |date=30 July 2022}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cricinfo|id=26623}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adhikari, Sudhakar}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:2022 deaths]]
[[Category:Cricketers from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Indian cricketers]]
[[Category:Mumbai cricketers]]
[[Category:West Zone cricketers]]
[[Category:Indian Universities cricketers]]
[[Category:Indian Starlets cricketers]]

Sudhakar Adhikari - Revision history

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